"It was the first time in my life that anything like that has ever happened to me! I was nearly lost for words!" Dale Hazzard said to Orange City Life when she contacted us on Friday.

Dale, a 78-year-old widow who has struggled with a few health issues of late, phoned the OC Life office to express her sincere thanks for a touching act of generosity she experienced while grocery shopping at Aldi.

Conducting a larger shop than usual, Dale was struggling a little when two strangers, a man and a woman, stepped in to lend her a hand, finding what she needed and fetching it to her trolley.

Then, when Dale was at the checkout, the same gentleman came forward again and handed over his card to pay for Dale's entire shop.

"I couldn't believe it! I didn't like to accept it, but he wouldn't think otherwise," Dale said. "When he paid, he just waved and said, 'No, it's Christmas' or something to that effect... And then he helped me with my groceries to the car and everything, he put them in for me."

Dale, who is a keen reader of OC Life's 'Thumbs Up' columns, said she had read of similar generous acts happening here in Orange, but never expected anything like that to happen to her.

"I was absolutely thrilled and overwhelmed for somebody to do that for me!" Dale said. "It was a really great help, it really was, because things are a bit tight at the moment and health-wise... and it was very appreciated, it was. He was a really true gentleman."

The gentleman in question is a Millthorpe resident who gave the name Warren, said Dale's son Peter, who helped her get in touch with us.

"There was also a lady that Mum didn't catch her name but Warren stepped in and actually paid for Mom's groceries which were over 100 bucks. It was pretty amazing," said Peter.

"Mum's just a single pensioner - my old man passed away six or seven years ago - so doing it tough and I just thought that's pretty amazing. It's a nice thing to acknowledge. He didn't have to do that and Mum, she really was very appreciative and thought that he really should be thanked in some way. There really are some nice people out there!"